


Would you like to dance with me?

by TheLilyoftheValley



Series: A Rainbow in the Stars [4]
Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Dancing, Fluff, M/M, Prompt Fill, Qwarkarious - Freeform, formal dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25943866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLilyoftheValley/pseuds/TheLilyoftheValley
Summary: Qwarkarious. There were many people banking on him to screw up his first event with the Polaris Defense Force. But if dancing took his mind off of it for a moment, slow dancing with Qwark was a good distraction.
Relationships: Captain Qwark/Dr. Nefarious
Series: A Rainbow in the Stars [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875358
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	Would you like to dance with me?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AWildTrashCan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AWildTrashCan/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. This is dedicated to awildtrashcan and OmniscientPapaya, both of whom deserve serotonin and inspire me to write these bois. This isn't my best work, but I hope you guys enjoy the fic nonetheless.
> 
> Original prompt from OTP Prompt Generator: "Qwark and Nefarious slow dancing with no music, arms wrapped tightly around each other, breaths mingling."
> 
> ((*Cough* the story is a bit different from the prompt because of reasons.))

Would you like to dance with me?

"Would you like to dance with me?"

It took a moment before the sudden question fully registered in his mind.

Nefarious turned his head, hand frozen in pulling at his black tuxedo's sleeves, the claws pinched around the already stretched-out fabric. Red optics, shrunken in fear, slid over to meet questioning blue eyes.

The ' _No, you moron,'_ stalled right at the tip of his mouthpiece. It would be so simple, so painstakingly easy, but there were more than enough people that were gunning for him to screw everything up and refusing a dance seemed like it would only add another mark against him.

Partners started forming and drawing from the general crowd, Talwyn and Ratchet taking the lead. Couples, many of whom were happily married or had been dating for long stretches of time, effortlessly fell into position for the slow dance. Hands rested on shoulders and hips as if they were meant to be there. They looked to each other, creatures of all species and sizes, love in their eyes and adoration in their smiles as they stepped close.

As the music from the Polaris Defense Force's Annual Charity Ball and Fundraiser began to fill the rented ballroom, fear balled in his chest.

Nefarious looked back to Qwark, eyeing the outstretched green-gloved hand with wariness. Metal claws left his sleeve and tugged at his tuxedo's collar, red optics drawing back to the scattering of couples on the marbled dance floor.

"N-No." His claws pulled with such force that another slight snapping sound came from the deep purple bowtie at his throat. Arms jerked as he tried to cross them, his eyes centered squarely on the creatures just starting the dance and away from the captain beside him. His voice cracked with his words. "Why would I want to slow dance?! Why would anyone want to slow dance?! It's utterly moronic!"

Qwark cocked his head to the side after a beat of silence passed. "Um… Nef… Do you know how to slow dance?"

Annoyance sparked, his finger twitching as he slowly lowered his hands to his side. "It's not like many people want to dance with me, you oaf," he snapped softly.

The captain paused for a beat, then brightened like a light. "Oh…" He leaned close, tease already in his smile. "So, you _don't_ know how to slow dance?"

Before Nefarious could protest, Qwark scooped the robot's right hand into his left, pulling the scientist to the dance floor. Cheer clouded his words, something that overtook Nefarious' slight noises of protest. "Well, doc, you're in luck! I'll have you know that I won Solana's Annual Ballroom Dancing and Sugar Cookie Baking Contest three years in a row!" he drawled, his free hand straightening his enormous tuxedo jacket. "If there's anyone who can help you slow dance or bake a mean sugar cookie, it's me!"

Once the both of them reached the dance floor, Qwark led Nefarious around in a half-circle, a large hand settling along the scientist's left hip as the robot faced the captain.

Qwark grinned, and Nefarious was quick to match it with a frown. Metal claws, hesitant and slow, stretched and settled on the broad shoulder.

"Now," Qwark began, a guiding tone to his words, "the first key to perfecting the Box Step is to move your right foot back."

Loud whispers, wisps of conversation that Nefarious couldn't fully catch, rose from the small crowd surrounding the dance floor. A tingling sense swept through the scientist, his body aware of the many eyes centered on him and Qwark.

Without protest, Nefarious moved his right foot back as his frown flattened with fear.

Qwark moved his left foot forward with care, blue eyes carefully looking down to avoid stepping on the doctor's feet. "Good… good…" he murmured as he glanced back up. "Now slide on your left foot to the left…"

Nefarious followed, and more simple instructions and praise came with each new step.

The whispers around them grew in volume as their jerky, uncoordinated movements began to smooth into something resembling the ballroom dance the rest of the couples were doing. With each step and slide, Nefarious kept his optics locked firm on Qwark's face as the murmurs pitched with each little fumble the scientist made.

A soft hiss of pain came from Qwark as sharp metal fingers dug into the black tuxedo. "You-" another soft grunt of agony came as the claws stretched out then curled back into the shoulder it was hanging onto "-you okay, doc?"

"Yes! Fine!" His voice came out as a quiet squeak. His movements quickened, speeding up their dance. "Nothing's wrong! Keep dancing!"

As the robot took a step back with his right foot, the side of his foot caught against the floor.

The whispers heightened in volume as Nefarious stumbled and his leg nearly gave out beneath him.

A strong arm caught the robot before he plummeted to the floor, circling around Nefarious' waist and acting as a support. Their hands, still tightly interlinked, lifted high into the air, and as the awkward dip stalled their dance, Nefarious locked his optics to Qwark.

If he looked their way, there would be more whispers.

The split-second shock and fear that had decorated the captain's face disappeared as quickly as it had come, and a lopsided, comforting grin took its place. Qwark eased Nefarious back up, the robot's right foot finally finding strong footing to the dance floor.

"Just a stumble, doc, nothing to be concerned about!" The usual bravado in the superhero's voice filled the space between them.

Gears whirred in his head, and Nefarious' mouthpiece moved without his voice for a moment before sound returned to him. "It wasn't just a stumble!" he hissed, his optics finally breaking from Qwark's face. They darted to both sides of them as they resumed dancing. "It was a massive screw-up and that's all they need to-"

He snapped his mouthpiece shut as the whispers turned into low voices.

In the middle of their turn, both of them shifting their weight to the other sides of their bodies, concern covered Qwark's face.

"Um… Nef, is everything really okay?" the captain asked, his voice low to avoid it carrying to the murmuring audience around them. "You've been extra cranky and clumsy since we got here…" His large thumb rubbed at the back of Nefarious hand, a small gesture of comfort that wouldn't be seen unless they were standing still.

He would have hidden his feelings if terror hadn't force down his pride.

"There's… there's a lot of creatures here," Nefarious murmured, his optics centering on two male Cazars leaning close to each other as they watched him and Qwark.

The captain turned them in time with the music, and the sight of the Cazars was blocked by a large shoulder. "Well, yeah, there's a lot of high-class creatures that we need to provide funding for the Defense Force," Qwark replied, one of his eyebrows lifting higher than the other.

"Everyone here was once sworn against me." Nefarious' chest constricted and expanded, closely mimicking organic hyperventilation. Red optics grew as he looked to guard robots mixed in with the crowd, their blasters still at their sides despite the "No weapons" policy that had been stressed to the scientist before he had come to the event. "There's so many squishies and robots that want to be the one to send me back to prison. I make a stupid mistake and they notice. Every little thing I do is monitored by these imbecilic soldiers to where I don't know if I can pick up a butter knife without them acting like I'll kill someone."

As his ankle lost strength for a split second, Nefarious stumbled back, barely recovering in time to make the next step in the dance. His chest constricted and expanded faster, and his optics looked everywhere but the man in front of him.

"I keep screwing everything up no matter how much I try to do better," Nefarious forced out. "What if they think I'm faking everything?! How many screw-ups before they don't believe me?! Am I going to end up back in a prison cell at the end of the night, or-"

"…Hey."

The soft-spoken word instantly snapped the doctor out of his nervous ramble.

His optics drew back to Qwark as the captain slowed their dance to a pace much slower than the other couples around them. Green-gloved fingers gave Nefarious' small hand a comforting squeeze, and a crooked, happy-go-lucky smile spread out under the green mask.

As the two of them turned, Qwark leading the dance and sweeping Nefarious around in a slight circle, the captain spoke. "Don't worry about them, Nef," he said, his tone hushed. "Keep your eyes to me and ignore the rest of them. Ratchet, Clank, and I will back you up if creatures give you a hard time while you're here."

The frown decorated his face before he could stop it.

"Easy for you to say," the doctor growled, his optics finally returning to look at Qwark's face. His voice dipped in volume, leaning close to a whisper-shout. "You're Captain Qwark, the superhero that has dozens of scandals to his name but still is loved by millions of morons. I couldn't kill you; Ratchet and Clank couldn't kill you; wildebeests can't kill you; and nothing can kill your career. You think it's going to be as simple for me to just ignore the creatures gunning for me to mess everything up?!"

The music coming from the orchestra reached its crescendo. Couples dipped and twirled in their dances, adding special flair to their steps as they prepared for the end of the dance.

Qwark leaned his head to the side, the carefree smile still on his face. "Like I said before, doc, I'll back you up if someone tries to accuse you of wrong-doings." The smile on his face then curled into something more mischievous. "As for escaping scandals, allow me to give a little tip…"

Soft notes, trills of flutes signaling the rapidly approaching end of the music piece, reverberated over the space as Qwark lowered his head close to Nefarious' left audio receptor.

"… _misdirection and distraction are your biggest friends..."_

Suddenly, the captain twirled Nefarious.

A sharp, loud yelp of surprise, cutting out the music for a quarter of a second, screeched from the scientist's mouth as Qwark's hand left his hip and his world spun. One turn, two turns, three turns…

As the final note echoed throughout the rented ballroom, Qwark pulled Nefarious back to him, pushing the scientist close to his broad chest. Their hands tightened together, stretching out far into the air, and Qwark bent Nefarious into a slight dip that made Qwark the one to lean over Nefarious.

The scientist's body froze as his sensors lit up under his metal form. Red optics stayed locked on the captain as dozens of eyes centered on the former enemies.

Silence hung over the ballroom as Qwark eased Nefarious back into an upright position.

"Thank you for indulging me in that wonderful dance, doctor!" Qwark's normally loud voice carried over the space, bravado covering any indication of previous whisperings. Blue eyes sparkled as his hand dropped from Nefarious' hip and his other hand brought their clasped fingers back down to chest level.

As his fingers disconnected from Nefarious' and his fingers slid under the scientist's, metal claws hanging over a massive index finger, Qwark bowed. "I hope you'll indulge me in further dances next time…" he drawled.

Before the scientist could say anything, Qwark lifted the metal hand and pressed a soft kiss to the back of his palm, just above the place where knuckles met fingers.

The stunned silence that clouded the air was so thick and heavy that no one moved.

As optics blinked rapidly, his jaw piece already dropped open from sheer shock, Qwark leaned closer and brought his voice down to a whisper as a few murmurs came from the crowd.

"If anyone tries to get on your case, I'll take care of them," the hero whispered, a sly wink following his words. And for a split moment, a wishful expression -a smile filled with hope and eyes that would have charmed a puppy- graced his face. "I hope I can dance with you again sometime, Nef," he murmured. "I had fun…"

Within a moment, Qwark straightened up and let go of Nefarious' hand. He turned on his heel, the back of a black tux meeting the scientist's vision as the superhero brightened and spread his arms wide.

"Erica, you lovely minx! How've things been with the husband and kids?!"

Qwark stepped over to the creature in question, leaving the dance floor. As he did, the crowd around the dance floor began to follow, most creatures wide-eyed with curiosity and confusion. It was a moment before Qwark disappeared into the crowd forming around him, questions erupting from the prying minds of the creatures that had previously set their sights on Nefarious.

Said scientist stood on the dance floor, his body rooted in the spot. He couldn't move even if he wanted to, the shock of the moment petrifying his limbs and mind. Metal claws dangled where Qwark had left them, and his jaw piece hung loosely from his head. Optics kept trained in on the last place he had seen the superhero before Qwark had been lost to the crowd.

In the single moment Qwark had kissed his hand, mushy warmth knotted in the area near where his heart was located.

It felt like tar was dripping down his insides, dense goop that warmed every inch of machinery of his body and insides. The reminder of what possessing organic organs had felt like prodded at his mind; the ever-present sensation of churning, squishy organs and hot blood rushing through veins. Except this was worse, a warmth that was too hot and moved through him like sludge.

It was absolutely revolting, but it made him feel so good.

As his mouthpiece closed, the corners of his mouth curled upward in a rare, genuine smile. The hand Qwark had kissed drew back to him, pressing close to where his heart was. His other hand covered the spot, claws guarding something from the rest of the universe. And as he finally moved, shifting from one foot to the other and peering after the superhero, sound returned to him.

"…Yeah…" Nefarious murmured, the word barely audible.

He couldn't stop smiling.

"…Me too…"

**Author's Note:**

> Song Inspo: "Dancin'" by Aaron Smith (KRONO Remix). This was the only song that my brain could write this to.
> 
> MMMM. This fic. This fic and I had a bare-knuckled fight in the back of an alleyway because for the longest time, the writing for this didn't want to work with me. This fic took three days of struggle to finish the second half of this, and for the past three days I had promised myself I was going to post it "that day".
> 
> I also realized over halfway through this that a lot of people headcanon Nef as a good dancer and that I maybe should have done this differently, but I fought with this fic for so long that I'm going to call it here.
> 
> Nonetheless, I hope the fic was enjoyable! :) I need to write these bois a lot more, though GHJKJH I have some other stuff to do first. I hope you all enjoyed, and thank you for reading! :D


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